Saturday, June 07, 2008

OK, this is late getting to the web, but for the sake of completeness and the things coming in the next few weeks (there’s some FristCenter opening on the 20th that didn’t quite make it in, but will get posted).This week features the triumphant return to town of performance artist Quinn Dukes, and some interesting artists using needle work and fabric at Estel.

If someone wants to get added directly to my list for the email version of this listing, send me an email at dcmaddox@comcast.net.

June 7

Twist, Quinn Dukes Quinn graduated from Nashville last year and moved to NewYork.The core of her art is a dramatic, ritualistic (well all performance art is) performance art that had involved odd costumes and a love of playing with dirt.From her artist’s statement, it sounds like she’s been having fun contrasting the relative wildness of Tennessee with her new urban environs, where the natural world comes onto the stage of the built landscape as more of an intruder.

Estel, Common Thread: Cathy Breslaw, Vanessa Oppenhoff, Teri Moore, and work by Rodney Wood.The Feminist Art Movement of the 60s and 70s reclaimed traditional women’s craft techniques as an avenue for artist expression.Over the decades, the influence of this movement can be seen in the way needlework has become a common technique in gallery art, getting to be just another medium like drawing or painting.Still, the medium occupies ambiguous ground, sometimes looking like a form of drawing, other times verging on sculpture, and still with a foot in the craft world.This show features three women making art with fabric and thread.Just to pick out one, Oppenhoff’s work includes several series—one takes variants of the simple figures used in instructional illustrations to describe the notions of threat in today’s society.In the small gallery, new paintings by Rodney Wood.Some of the new paintings struck me as being more naturalistic but still capturing the idea of something mysterious going on—it seems like a good direction, if I’m seeing it right.

Arts Company, Brother Mel.A big 80th birthday show for Brother Mel, celebrating 50 years of art-making and 10 years at the Arts Company.This Marianist monk makes art in all sorts of media, changing styles with the context and purpose of his art.He’s been one of the Arts Company’s consistently popular artists.

Rymer, Dominic Besner, Aniocles Gregoire, Leszek Wyczolkowski, Antoine Claes, Kristina Colucci Rymerisopening its new location on 5th Avenue with a group show. It’s like one door down from Tinney+Cannon, which with Arts Company gives us three major galleries in a row.

DPC Art Luck, The Art Works of the ContributorThe Contributor is Nashville’s version of an idea in place in several cities to provide an opportunity for the homeless to earn some money and spread the word on their experience by producing a newspaper featuring articles and artwork mostly by members of the homeless community, sold by vendors from the homeless community.The Contributor got started earlier this year, and DPC is going to feature art work by some of the people involved with the paper and the homeless community in Nashville.

LeQuire Gallery, Learning GreenLandscapes by Suta Lee, Arthur Barnes, Lori Putnam, Ashley Wiltshire.Barnes and Putnam do plein air work.Lee, a professor at Austin Peay, works in a couple of styles, but this show will include his very traditional watercolor landscapes.

Cumberland Gallery, Group show, Kit Reuther and new artists.Cumberland has their summer group show going, and they are also doing short-run features on some of their artists and cycling through some new artists.The new folks are Jeff Green, Denise Mayo Stewart-Sanabria, and Dane Carder.The feature from June 7-21 is Kit Reuther.

June 13

Untitled, Multiple OrigamiThis quarter’s will be held at the University of Phoenix’ building out by the airport—you can see it on the right when you’re driving back into town from the Airport.I think you get to it by taking the Elm Hill Pike exit from Briley Parkway.Runs from 6-10.

June 14

Studio B Gallery, Kaaren Hirschowitz Engel. Kaaren’s latest paintings integrate Hebrew prayers from her childhood. I’m not sure if this is going to include some of her sculptural work—paintings rolled or cut up, like the globes hanging in the Arcade—or will focus more on on-the-wall paintings. The opening will be from 7-9 on the 14th.

June 19

RenaissanceCenter: Victoria Boone, Erin Anfinson, Julie Lee, and Doug Stevenson.The RenCenter in Dickson is picking up the pace in getting Nashville artists in front of viewers in Dickson and the surrounding counties. Last month they had John Donovan and the Southern Graphics Council, and this time several people who have been featured in Nashville galleries recently: Victoria Boone had a show at the Parthenon, Julie was at Twist, and Erin Anfinson is carried by TAG (I think the last show I show of hers was at Ruby Green about a year ago, but I might have missed something). I don’t know for sure, but the reception might be on Friday the 20th.

June 20

In.Form.All.A group show (one night only I believe) featuring Arlene Bates, Betsy Clapsaddle, Charla Steele, Hans Mooy, Judy Klich, Merry Beth Myrick, Shonna Sexton and Stacie Berry. It will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 at 5725 Stoneway Trail.

CRAFT: A Creative CommunitySummer Extravaganza.This group of local artists/artisans had their regular monthly show/sale on June 1, but there’s also doing a second event on Saturday the 28th at MemorialLutheranChurch, 1211 Riverside Drive in East Nashvillefrom 10 to 5.

Cheekwood, A Century on PaperA show of selections from Cheekwood’s collection, starting with early 20th century artists like Reginald Marsh, but probably picking up with later stuff by Rauschenberg, Ruscha.

About Me

A writer and musician living in Nashville, TN. I write about art for a couple of publications, and use this blog for material that doesn't quite fit into the format or schedules of those publications, and to range a little farther afield.